Glasgow, UK, February 25, 2014 / B3C newswire / - Biopta Ltd, the human tissue-based contract research organisation, today announced a major development in discovery research with the launch of the first catalogue of assays based on human functional tissues. The catalogue serves to provide the scientific community with ready access to assays that improve the prediction of safety, absorption and efficacy of drug candidates in humans.
Ex vivo human tissue studies play a key part in drug development, providing pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with a more predictive human model earlier in the development process. Many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have, up until now, depended solely on animal models; however, Biopta’s access to fresh functional human biomaterials means that early human tissue testing is increasingly becoming a routine part of preclinical drug discovery.
Today, Biopta announced that their research has generated a database of over 60 assays in a range of human fresh tissues. Biopta’s database is the first to build an in vitro library of human functional pharmacology using intact tissues. Biopta aims to fill the knowledge gap in preclinical testing by providing phenotypically-accurate assays that measure drug responses from healthy and diseased human tissue.
Dr David Bunton Biopta’s CEO said “The literature on human preclinical pharmacology is unacceptably sparse and too many decisions on early-stage compounds are made without considering translation to human biology. By illustrating the wide range of tissues and functional endpoints that are possible in human functional tissues, we hope to raise awareness that drug discovery can be de-risked at an early stage.”
Dr Ruth McLaughlin, Business Development Manager at Biopta said “Biopta’s catalogue aims to provide important human biology data during early stage drug discovery. This library also serves as a valuable searchable resource for experimenters seeking human translational research. We will be continuing to add tissue types, functional biomarkers of drug response and different mechanisms of drug action over the coming months.”
About Biopta
Biopta, founded in 2002, is a unique early development in vitro CRO (contract research organisation), providing novel services in fresh ex vivo human tissues to global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Biopta’s services improve the predictability and efficiency of drug development by providing ’Good Laboratory Practice’-compliant safety and efficacy services in ethically-donated human tissues. These highly predictive ex vivo studies provide invaluable data to accurately identify compounds with the greatest likelihood of clinical success by providing powerful human data much earlier in the development process. Biopta aims to reduce the risk of late stage drug failures and add value to early stage compounds.
Contacts
Corporate Enquiries
Dr David Bunton, CEO
+44 (0)141 3303831
davidbunton@biopta.com
Business Development / Communication Enquiries
Dr Ruth McLaughlin, Business Development Manager
+44 (0)141 3303831
ruthmclaughlin@biopta.com
Biopta Ltd
Weipers Centre
Garscube Estate
Bearsden Road
Glasgow
G61 1QH
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.
